1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates, generally, to the clamping of elements during a manufacturing process. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a magnetic clamp assembly. The disclosure also extends to an adapter for a magnetic clamp assembly and to a housing for a magnetic clamp assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
Manufacture of concrete panels and structures is often carried out via pre-casting techniques. Pre-cast manufacture of concrete panels and structures is becoming the preferred method for many construction applications including industrial, commercial, and retail applications.
Typically, pre-casting of a concrete panel or other concrete member is performed on a steel bed. Steel beds can be constructed to have a surface with a relatively high level of precision. This allows concrete panels and structures to be manufactured to an associated level of accuracy. Edge or perimeter molds are used to produce concrete panels and structures of a certain shape. These molds are commonly referred to as sideforms. One of the ways to secure the sideforms in position on a steel bed is by the use of magnetic clamps.
In order to produce a concrete panel having a particular edge profile, it is necessary to use sideforms defining a complementary profile. It follows that sideforms come in many different shapes and sizes. To account for such variations, an adapter plate is mounted to the magnetic clamp. Thus, by having a range of adapter plates it is possible to select one which is suitable for a particular sideform and thus the magnetic clamp can be used to clamp a wide range of sideforms.
Once the concrete has been poured into the mold a final step in the pre-casting process involves leveling and settling the poured concrete. To achieve this, a vibrating device is oscillated back and forth across the surface of the poured concrete until the concrete is flush with a top of the sideforms and to aid in removing air pockets which may have formed within the concrete prior to the concrete setting. Oscillation of the vibrating device across the top of the sideforms causes a sympathetic oscillation to be set up in the top of the sideform. The oscillation of the sideform tends to loosen bolts which are conventionally used to mount the adapter to the magnetic clamp. The adapter plate may pivot relative to the magnetic clamp which may result in the adapter plate leaning away from the magnetic clamp and, consequently, the sideform not being supported perpendicularly to the bed as required.